Semester Finals
by TheOtherMaddHatter
Summary: What was it like to be in Professor Crane's class while he taught at Gotham U? What kind of teacher was he, and what kind of students did he have? My little venture into his teaching years.


**Semester Finals**

**I don't own Jonathan Crane or Gotham University, they both belong to DC Comics and Bob Kane. This is a little change of pace for me, switching things up from my Nurse Madison story line to focus more on the man behind the Scarecrow. This story takes place outside of my other story lines, and is completely in canon. I'm pretty sure that this is how he'd act towards his students, and considering he fired a real gun at them, this is how they'd view him. **

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The beginning of the semester had always been Professor Jonathan Crane's favorite time of the school year. It always supplied new students, new intellect, and most importantly new fear. Ah the substance that made his entire world go round, what more could he say about it?

It was…_perfect_.

He stood casually outside his door, watching the mass as they made their way to their new classes. Some of those students would be his this semester, some of them he'd had in past classes: all of them were _idiots_. Their mindless chatter was something of an irritant to him on many levels, along with their poor study habits and even poorer attitudes. At least his course wasn't required: then he would have to suffer through every one of them at some point or another.

What an experience that would be.

No, he wouldn't dwell on those absolutely horrible thoughts. Best let them go before he started to scare even himself, a feat that only the student body's stupidity could cause. He didn't need to work himself up over something that would never happen. Professor Crane went back to listening to the student's muttering and idle chatting, staring over their heads as he tried desperately to tune them out.

He didn't have that kind of luck.

"What's your schedule for this semester Brittney?" as a tall blonde to a shorter red head. Crane recognized her as Cindy, the same one from his class last semester. "I have History 111 with Professor Roehrs: then I have Sociology 212 with Professor Burkley."

"Cindy, you're going to love Pr. Roehrs!" said Brittney enthusiastically. "He's so cool, and he's absolutely hysterical!"

"Well anything's better than stuffy old Professor Crane! He was worse than watching paint dry, and equally as creepy." Replied Cindy as she looked over at his swiftly to check if he heard. "I got a bad vibe from that guy Brittney, watch your back okay?"

"You're just trying to scare me Cindy!" the other girl laughed, not fazed by the cryptic message her friend gave her.

"No, I'm not! Promise me you'll be careful, alright?" The other one begged.

"Okay Cindy, I will." She turned and made for his classroom doorway, her head flitting nervously back and forth between it and Professor Crane. "Good morning Professor Crane. "

"Good morning Ms. Laird." Crane smiled at the shock of him already knowing her last name, preying on the dumb did have its advantages. "And how are you this morning? Well I hope."

"I'm doing wonderful Professor." She smiled timidly. "And yourself?"

"Wonderful. The start of a new semester is always my favorite part of the year." He smiled more genuinely now. "So many new… _faces _to teach to and learn from."

"If you say so Professor…" she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I personally don't care for the change in schedule, I like a set routine."

_Ah, so you fear obligatory change. That's a start Ms. Laird, that's a start. _He thought these things over as he continued to listen to what to oblivious young woman before him was saying. Yes, he did teach Psychology and loved it dearly, but the phobias and fear was what drove him. Hadn't she heard from last semester's students that he focused on individual, as well as group fear? _I suppose not by the way she keeps going on. _

"I'm really excited to get into your class though Professor. It was one of the hardest classes to get into, but I finally got in." She shifted her books uneasily. "I didn't realize that Psychology was this competitive. I guess I'll have to work extra hard."

"Well then Ms. Laird, I expect to see some participation from you in class in the near future. You can't just expect to receive a grade in here: you have to work for it." He said stoically. "Class participation is always a good idea in my class."

That thought alone could make him smile for days on end. If she thought that she could get extra points for getting up in front of her fellow peers, she was nuts. But, if he could encourage more students to participate, then he'd have more fears to discover and use against them. It would make things so much easier for him too. So he made it sound like that was a way to get on his good side, advice that he only gave out to his _favorite _students. Gain their trust, build up a familiar wall of comfort, and tear it down in a blink of an eye. That sort of fear was the best to him.

"Of course I'll participate in class Professor, thank you for the tip!" Her grin lit her entire face up in a way that made Jonathan want to puke. "See you in class!"

He watched her quietly as she scuttled through the open class room door way, now dead set on making her squeal in front of everyone of her peers. That always seemed to make him feel better, no matter what happened. If he ever lost everything, his home, his money, his books, he'd still have the fear. That was something they couldn't take away from him.

Not now, not ever.

Yes, the beginning of the semester was indeed his favorite time of the school year, but the semester finals were always what brought about the happy feelings. That was how he could describe himself to, the beginning and the end of terror in the students' lives.

Professor Crane turned and strode back into his classroom as the clock struck noon, moving swiftly towards his desk. He shivered with anticipation, ready to get started on the fresh new batch before him. All of their once smiling faces were soon to be his.


End file.
